A California county's lawsuit claims pharmacies, including Walmart, as well as drug manufacturers and suppliers have fueled the nation's opioid addiction crisis by failing to control the distribution of the prescription drugs.
San Bernardino County joins more than 200 cities and counties in 14 other states that have filed similar suits, according to a news release from the San Bernardino County Coard of Supervisors.
At least 35 people died in the county in 2017 from opiate overdoses, the release states. In addition, the county saw at least 259 nonheroin opioid overdose emergency department visits and 179 opioid overdose hospitalizations.
"The county and our residents are being severely affected by the opioid crisis," Robert Lovingood, chairman of the county's Board of Supervisors, said in the release. "With this lawsuit, our county joins hundreds of counties across the United States in an important effort to hold these companies responsible for their role in creating the opioid epidemic."
In the lawsuit filed July 19, the county is seeking relief for the costs of providing services to residents affected by opioid overuse and addition, including health care, social, court and law enforcement services.
Defendants in the San Bernardino suit, besides Walmart Inc., include Johnson & Johnson, CVS Health Corp., the Kroger Co., RiteAid of Maryland Inc., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., Purdue Pharma L.P., Endo Health Solutions Inc. and Endo Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon Inc., Allergan PLC, Actavis LLC, Insys Therapeutics, Cardinal Health Inc., McKesson Corp., Noramco Inc., AmericsourceBergen Drug Corp., Mallinckrodt PLC and LLC, H.D. Smith Wholesale Drug Co., Miami-Luken Inc., and Teva, Watson and Ortho-McNeil-Janssen pharmaceutical companies.
Walmart did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
The suit was filed jointly by the law firms Crueger Dickinson LLC of Wisconsin and Simmons Hanly Conroy, a national law firm specializing in consumer protection and mass tort actions. The firms have teamed to file most of the 200-plus existing lawsuits against the same defendants.
Walmart began in early May to implement a new policy at its pharmacies that limits first-time opioid prescriptions to a seven-day supply or less as part of the company's efforts to help curb opioid abuse. The policy, which was introduced at all Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies over a 60-day period, also restricts the daily maximum dosage available to patients to 50 morphine milligram equivalents.
The new limits are based on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for doctors, according to Walmart.
The retailer also plans to require all prescriptions for controlled substances to be submitted electronically beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The company said e-prescriptions are less prone to errors and can't be altered or copied.
Some physicians are displeased with the limits adopted by Walmart, CVS and other pharmacies. The American Medical Association has said treating pain is a complex process, and decisions on dosage and supply should remain between the doctor and patient.
Business on 07/26/2018